Fossil Ground Sloth Claw. Megalonyx jeffersonii. Pleistocene. Florida, USA. ... (Total: 2 Items)

Description

Fossil Ground Sloth Claw
Megalonyx jeffersonii
Pleistocene
Florida, USA

Displayed on a custom stand for maximum impact, this unusual looking claw is from a Megalonyx, which is a Giant Ground Sloth. The curved digit is 'fused' to an associated phalange. Although not the largest of the ground sloths, Megalonyx still reached lengths of 10 feet and weights over a ton. The large mammal that lived during the Pleistocene ("Ice Age") was huge and likely used it sharp claw to forage for food. As this example confirms, the sloth claw was slender and curved with a smooth texture and dark black hue. Noted 'fossil hunter' Vito Bertucci discovered this specimen in Florida deposits that produce such fossils.
Overall Measurements: 7.09 x 2.17 x 5.12 inches (18.00 x 5.50 x 13.00 cm)

Provenance: The Property from an East Coast Collection
Phillips, New York, December 2, 1995 (lot 333)

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